Hughton Fears Sheffield Steel; Blades Are Better Than Form Suggests

Hughton Fears Sheffield Steel; Blades Are Better Than Form Suggests

Article excerpt

CHRIS HUGHTON says he won't be fooled by Sheffield United's position in the Coca-Cola Championship table ahead of tonight's tangle with the Blades.

The Bramall Lane side go in tonight in 15th place in the Championship, just five points above the relegation zone and trailing the Magpies by 10 points.

Sheffield United just missed out on automatic promotion last season and were beaten narrowly in the playoff final by this season's Premier League surprise package Burnley at Wembley. Yet despite Kevin Blackwell side's run of six games without a win and the fact that Sheff U have conceded 16 goals in the last six matches, Hughton isn't expecting a cakewalk this evening.

A cautious Hughton told the Chronicle: "Sheffield United are a side who I expect to be up there come the end of the season.

"When the season started they were rightly up there as many people's picks as one of the teams who are capable of getting to the Premier League. …